Sunday, 27 January 2013

The Hustler / Colour of Money

Dir: Robert Rossen / Martin Scorsese
Starring: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Tom Cruise

I tell ya a storey, see... Narry B once hustled the legendary hustler 'Flageolet O'Hanson'. Yerp... I stole the green beans from his plate when he went to the toilet.

Another great hustler was Paul Newman, who was a one of the great 9-ball players of all time. 'The Hustler' is a fairly slow tale, but if you like pool, then you'll probably enjoy the nuances of this here flick.

20 years later, Paul Newman discovers hotshot 'Tom Cruise' who can also shoot a mean ball. And the story kinds of repeats itself - except that Newman is older and wiser, and gets the better of every one he meets. What a dude.

Forrest Whittaker makes a genius cameo. Newman's lover in The Hustler is a good romantic interest. The difference between the two films is Scorses's direction. The Hustler is very low key - The Color of Money has some imaginative scenes that Lewbowski took inspiration from.

As with many films from books, there are obvious omissions and the viewer is required to use their heads to figure it out.

One day, the story of me and Flageolet O'Hanson will be told. But until then you can enjoy a good hustle with Paul Newman and co.

Rating: Good

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